Sectional cabinet



March l1, 1969 P, Q, YANG.v 3,432,216

SECTIONAL CABINET Filed Feb. 13, 1967 INVENTOR ATTORNEY March ll, 1969 l P. Q. YANG SECTIONAL CABINET Sheet Filed Feb. 1s, 1967 lNvENToR PETER QUY YANG United States Patent O 3,432,216 SECTIONAL CABINET Peter Quay Yang, 250 E. 65th St., New York, N.Y. 10021 Filed Feb. 13, 1967, Ser. No. 615,425 U.S. 'Cl. 312-111 5 Claims Int. Cl. F16b 12/ 00 ABSTRACT F THE DISCLGSURE Open-ended sectional cabinet shown assembled, and in exploded views, locking structure is provided preventing separation of the cabinet compartments in the direction of the axis thereof, and also transversely and longitudinally thereof.

particularly suitable for use in a low cost construction. In

the event the sidewalls of the cabinets are made of wood or equivalent material, the interlocking recesses may be formed in the panels before assembly. Further, each of the panels may be finished and polished before assembly.

The present invention provides a sectional cabinet including a plurality of compartment members which are of identical construction and which are so fabricated that one compartment interlocks with the adjacent compartment.

Objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and from the accompanying drawings which show by way of example an embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an assembled sectional cabinet in accordance with the invention with closing members in position.

FIGURE 2 is an exploded perspective view of the construction shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional View of the construction shown in FIGURE 1 looking from the right.

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the construction of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a rear view of the construction of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 6 is a vertical sectional view taken along the lines B-B of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 7 is a vertical sectional view taken along the lines A-A of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged view of the righthand end of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of the end of the sectional cabinet showing locking members in position.

Referring to the drawings there is shown in FIGURE 1 a sectional cabinet 1 including interlocked compartments 2 and 3. Each of the compartments includes a pair of side. members 4 and 5, an end member 6, a top member 7 and a bottom member 8. A topside recess 10' is formed on the underside of the top member 7 and an underside recess 11 is formed on the top side of the bottom member 8. The recesses 10 and 11 of adjacent compartments 2 and 3 are interlocked and prevent the separation of the -compartments along the axis of the assembled compartments.

It will be noted that the top member 7 and the bottom member 8 extend approximately half the length of the end members 4 and 5 so that the interlocking recesses 10 and 11 are positioned approximately at the centers of the side members 4 and 5. In alternative constructions this 3,432,216 Patented Mar. 1l, 1969 ACC position of the interlocking recesses may be varied somewhat although best results are obtained by positioning the recesses at the centers as shown.

It will be noted that the top member 7 and the bottom member 8 do not completely close the top and bottom walls respectively of the compartments. Of course when the compartments 2 and 3 are interlocked the bottom member 8 of the compartment 2 closes the opening in the top of the lower compartment 3. In order to close the openings at the top and bottom of an assembled sectional cabinet a pair of closing members 14 and 15 are provided. These closing members may be of identical construction if desired. On closing member 14 is a lip 16 delining a recess 17. On the other closing member 15 is a corresponding lip 18 defining a recess 19. As may be seen from the drawings, when the closing member 14 is positioned with its recess 17 facing upwardly it may be engaged with the recess 10 ofthe top member 7. In a similar manner the closing member 15 with its recess 19 faced downwardly may be engaged with the recess 11 of the bottom member 8.

In order to prevent lateral movement of one compartment with respect to its adjacent compartment, the upper edges of the sidewalls 4 and 5 are recessed as indicated at 20 and 21. Corresponding lips 22 and 23 are provided at the bottom edges of the side members. When assembled the engagement of the lips 22 and 23 with the adjacent recesses 20 and 21 prevents lateral movement of one compartment with respect to another.

Longitudinal movement of one compartment with respect to another is provided by slideable members 25 positioned in vertically extending slots 26 in each of the end members. Each of the slots may be provided with an operating knob 27, the knobs 27 having stems 28 sliding in slots 29 of the end members 6.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that a sectional -cabinet has been provided with self-interlocking compartments. In addition grooves are provided to prevent lateral movement of one compartment with respect to the other and slideable members are provided to prevent longitudinal movement of one compartment with respect to the other. If desired doors may be provided for the open ends of the compartments, any suitable construction well known in the art being used for same. Further, although the construction has been described and illustrated with the compartments positioned one above the other, it will be understood that the compartments may be positioned side-by-sde, if desired. Another alternative construction might be with the closing member 14 attached to the underside of a surface such as the top of a desk, in which event, one or more compartments may be attached and hung therefrom.

While the invention has been described and illustrated with reference to a specific embodiment thereof it is to be understood that other embodiments may be resorted t0 without departing from the invention. Therefore, the form of the invention set out above should be considered as illustrative.

I claim:

1. A sectional cabinet comprising a plurality of similar self-locking compartments, each compartment comprising a pair of side members, an end member attached to one end of each -of the side members, one cross member attached to the side members at the ends thereof away from said end member, another cross member attached to the side members at the ends thereof adjacent said end member, means defining a top side recess on the underside of the top cross member, said recess extending substantially along the entire length of said edge, means defining an underside recess on the top side of the bottom cross member on its edge, said recess extending substantially along the entire length of said edge, said cross members extending approximately half the length of said end mcmbers so that said top side recess is positioned approximately over said underside recess and both said recesses are located approximately at the centers of said side members, means defining recesses on the inner sides of the edges of said side members at least between the edge of one cross member and said end member, and means defining recesses on the inner sides of the edges of said side members at least outwardly of the other cross member, the ends of said cross members at said side members cooperating with said side members in defining recess means with at least a portion of the adjacent edges of said side members.

2. A sectional cabinet according to claim 1 in which a pair of closing members are provided, each of the closing members having a lip fitting said cross member recesses substantially along the lengths thereof, the lip of one closing member engaged in said top recess and the lip of another closing member engaged in said bottom recess so that the compartments are closed in their top and bottom sides.

3. A sectional cabinet according to claim 1 in which means defining a vertically extending slot are provided for each of said end members, and a slideable member is provided for each slot, the slideable member of one compartment adapted to be extended into an adjacent slot of an adjoining stacked compartment so as to prevent longitudinal movement of the one compartment with respect to the adjacent compartment.

4. A compartment for a sectional cabinet adapted to be formed of a plurality of these compartments, each com partment comprising a pair of side members, an end member attached to one end of each of the side members, one cross member attached to the side members at the ends thereof away from said end member, another cross member attached to the side members at the ends thereof adjacent said end member, means defining a top side recess on the underside of the top cross member, said recess extending substantially along the entire length of said edge, means defining an underside recess on the top side of the bottom cross member on its edge, said recess extending substantially along the entire length of said edge, said cross members extending approximately half the length of said end members so that said top side recess is positioned approximately over said underside recess and both said recesses are located approximately at the centers of said side members, means defining recesses on the inner sides of the edges of said side members `at least between the edge of one cross member and said end member, and means defining recesses on the inner sides of the edges of said side members at least outwardly of the other cross member, the ends of said cross members at said side members cooperating with said side members in defining recess means with at least a portion of the adjacent edges of said side members whereby one of these compartments may be nested with another similar compartment thereby forming a sectional cabinet in which the means forming the top side recess of one compartment is engaged with the means forming the underside recess of an adjacent compartment.

5. A compartment for a sectional cabinet according to claim 4 in which a pair of closing members are provided, each -of the closing members having a lip fitting said cross member recesses substantially along the lengths thereof, the lip of one closing member engaged in said top recess and the lip of another closing member engaged in said bottom recess so that the compartments are closed in their top and bottom sides.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 659,851 10/1900 Knobel 312-111 XR 946,111 l/1910 Conrad 312-111 1,204,788 1l/1916 Kuennen 312--111 1,254,499 1/1918 Heal et al. S12-111 BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner.

I. L. KOHNEN, Assistant Examiner. 

